American Corner Qarshi English Speech Contest - Fall 2021

The American Corner Qarshi and Fulbright English Teaching Assistants Chris Cowan and Hannah Rothwell are pleased to announce a English-language speech contest to enhance learners’ success in public speaking and oratory.

The competition is open to learners of English in Kashkadarya,* including those in schools, lyceums, and universities, as well as those studying English at private language centers and those studying English independently.**

*PARTICIPATION IS LIMITED TO THOSE IN THE KASHKADARYA REGION.

**ACQ volunteers are welcome to participate provided they did not win first, second, or third in the Spring speech contest held in June.

Contest Details

Contest day: November 4th, 2021

Time: 12:00 PM – 15:00 PM

Venue: American Corner Qarshi

Telegram Channel: Official Telegram channel can be found here.

Speech Topic and Requirements

Students will develop a speech on the following theme:

In your opinion, what is the most significant scientific discovery, invention, or technological advancement since the year 2000? Why?

Requirements

Time: The speech must be 3 minutes in length
Use of posters or slides is not permitted; students who wish to use other visual aids should contact contest organizer.
The participant will be a sole author and creator of his/her own speech, no plagiarizing.*

*Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification. *

Selection of Contestants and Submission of Speeches

The selection committee will select a maximum 20 contestants. To be considered, prospective contestants must submit the following:

Name
Place of Study (if applicable)
Phone number
Telegram number or username (if different from phone number)
A typed copy of their speech as a PDF or Word Document; handwritten speeches or photos of hand written speeches will not be accepted.

Submission Instructions

Prospective contestants should submit their information and speech in one of the following ways:

Send a typed copy of their speech along with the information indicated above via Telegram (@cgcowan_uzb2)
Send a typed copy of their speech along with the information indicated above via email (cgcowan.uzb@gmail.com). If submitting by email, please use “Speech Contest Entry - Qarshi,” in the subject line.
Complete this Google Form

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 23:59 PM, FRIDAY 29 October 2021

The official list of participants will be announced and participation will be confirmed on 1 November 2021, the Monday preceding the competition.

Reminder: *Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification. *

Judging and Criteria

Contestants will be judged by an independent panel who will assess the candidates on the following criteria:

Content

The speech is organized in a way that makes its content easy to understand
Speech presents reasonable, unique, or novel ideas
Ideas or opinions are well-supported
Ideas are those of the presenter

Delivery

The speaker appears confident and speaks with conviction
The speech is a pace to communicate ideas
Eye-contact, facial expressions and gesture, used in natural way

Language

The language is easy to understand with minimal effort
Grammar mistakes are few and do not impede the meaning
Pronunciation is clear and errors do not impede understanding

Prizes

Prizes will be available for first, second, and third place winners. All participants will receive official certificates.

Any questions regarding the competition can be directed to the contest organizer through Telegram (@cgcowan_uzb2). The official Telegram channel with contest information can be found here.